


Starting Over

by lilspydermunkey



Category: K-pop, SHINee
Genre: 2min - Freeform, Angst, M/M, jongkey - Freeform, jongtae - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-09
Updated: 2017-09-09
Packaged: 2018-12-25 18:35:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,195
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12041805
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lilspydermunkey/pseuds/lilspydermunkey
Summary: Taemin and Jonghyun are helping each other over bad breakupsOriginally posted on AFF on 7/17/2014. Can be found here: http://www.asianfanfics.com/story/view/786566/starting-over-2min-jonghyun-jongkey-jongtae-shinee-taemin





	Starting Over

Taemin was trying to sleep. He was trying really hard. It had been a long day and he wanted to sleep. Unfortunately, his neighbor was playing music at a ridiculous level and Taemin couldn't sleep. He tried knocking on the wall, but of course that didn't work. He finally got up and stomped over to the front door and yanked it open. A couple of people were in the hall. Taemin walked up to his neighbor's door and knocked. "Hey!"

  
  


_"Hey!"_

  
  


**"HEY!"** Taemin shouted, giving the door a good, hard kick. The music shut off and feet padded on the floor. The door opened to reveal a mop of silver hair and brown puppy dog eyes.

"Hey," the guy smiled. "What's up?"

Taemin just looked at him. "Seriously? It's 1:30 in the morning. Why is your music so goddamned loud?"

The guy rubbed the back of his neck and looked into the hall to see some of the neighbors and grinned sheepishly. "Sorry. I guess we lost track of time."

Taemin peeked over the guy's shoulder and spied a shirtless brunette on the couch. He was blinking and Taemin was reminded of a cat. "If your boyfriend can't keep it down during sex put a gag on him. I'm right next door and I want to fucking sleep." With that, Taemin spun on his heel.

"Wait!" The guy caught up with him. "What's your name?"

Taemin gave him a look. "Are you kidding?" he demanded before going back into his apartment and slamming the door.

 

 

 

  
Taemin finally got to sleep, but he was woken up way too early. When he cracked an eye open, the clock read 6:30. He tried to burrow under the covers and reclaim his sleep but a noise stopped him. Arguing. It was coming from next door. Of course it was. Clearly these guys didn't want Taemin to get his sleep. The arguing got louder. Who fought first thing in the morning? Something crashed against Taemin's wall. Startled, Taemin slammed his hand against the wall.

  
  


Silence.

  
  


Taemin groaned. He knew there was no going back to sleep now. He got up and made a cup of tea. He closed his eyes as he leaned against the counter. He was trying so hard to start over, to stay upbeat, bit it was almost as if he'd traded one asshole for another.

  
  


The whistle sounded and Taemin took his mug onto his balcony. The morning was cloudy, misty, and cool, the sun trying it's best to emerge. Another door opened.

"Sorry for waking you up," came a soft voice.

"So am I," Taemin grumbled, looking up to see the brunette from the previous night.

"Jong and I... we fight a lot."

"Then why the fuck don't you just break up and let me get some sleep?" Taemin snapped.

The brunette's eyes widened.

"I don't think anyone's ever spoken to Key like that and lived to tell the tale," came a new voice.

Taemin looked up. Jong- according to Key- stood in the doorway leaning on one arm.

"Be nice Jonghyun," Key admonished.

"That _was_ nice!"

Key scowled and turned to Taemin. "I didn't get your name."

"It's 'Are you kidding?'" Jonghyun said, winking at Taemin. "At least, that's what he told me last night."

"We were a little rude," Key said.

Taemin snorted. "Sex last night, arguing this morning. What comes next in this vicious cycle?"

"More sex," Jonghyun answered. "But we'll keep it down."

Taemin was about to retort when a sound in the courtyard pulled his attention from the pair.

  
  


Minho.

  
  


Minho was standing in Taemin's courtyard, smiling that maddening grin at him, the one that had snared Taemin in the first place. He was walking to the door of Taemin's building as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

Taemin slumped. "Do yourselves a favor," he said, standing up. "Get out. Break up before it's too late. Such toxic love isn't love."

He walked back into his apartment.

 

 

 

 

He and Minho sat on his couch. Taemin held a fresh cup of tea in his trembling hands. They didn't speak, just stared ahead. Well, Taemin did. Minho just stared at Taemin. Everything was still and quiet, even Jonghyun's apartment. Taemin rolled his eyes. If he ever needed loud, obnoxious noise, it was now. He looked over at Minho, who smiled at him. Taemin looked away and sighed.

"What are you doing here, Minho?"

"I miss you."

Taemin's eyes welled. "Tough."

Minho moved closer. He placed Taemin's tea on the table and replaced it with his own hand. "How can you say that, Minnie? You know my feelings for you."

  
  


Taemin stared at Minho. "You may have forgotten your wife, but I haven't."

"She has nothing to do with us."

"She has everything to do with us!" Taemin exploded.

Minho sighed. "I'm not going to talk to you if you're going to behave like this."

"How do you expect me to behave? You want me to be your mistress."

"You make it sound so irrational."

"It is! You have a wife! A very pregnant wife and you want to relegate me to the background. What would you tell your children?"

"Nothing. No one ever has to know," Minho said smoothly.

Taemin snorted. "Lovely. Keep me as a dirty little secret you bastard. And I swore to Sulli I'd stay away from you. What would I tell her if she found out?"

"She won't find out. We'll be more careful this time."

"Are you listening to yourself?" Taemin shrieked. "If you loved me, you wouldn't want this for me. And what happens when you get tired of me?"

Minho stood and gathered Taemin into his arms. "That will never happen, baby." He nuzzled Taemin's throat. "I'll never get tired of you."

  
  


Taemin stood rigidly in Minho's arms. "Did you tell Sulli the same thing?"

Minho stopped his ministrations.

"I bet you tell me the same thing you tell her. Or once told her."

Minho pulled away from Taemin.

"You probably already have someone waiting if I don't come back, don't you?" Taemin paled as that realization hit him. "Oh god, you already do. How many others? How long have they always been lurking in the shadows?"

Minho reached out for Taemin, but Taemin pulled back. He felt sick. The knowledge that he wasn't the only one- besides Sulli- made him sick. He stumbled towards the door. He didn't know where he would go, but he knew he had to get out. He had the door cracked when Minho slammed it and pushed Taemin against it.

"Now Taemin," he soothed, but was interrupted by a knock at the door.

Taemin took a deep breath and opened the door. He couldn't help but smile at Jonghyun. "Hi."

"Hi," Jonghyun replied. "Are you ready?"

  
  


Taemin's door opened wider to reveal a furious Minho. "Who the fuck are you?" he demanded.

"I'm Jonghyun from next door. I'm here to take Pretty to breakfast."

"Well, I'm 'Pretty's' boyfriend," Minho ground out.

"The fuck you are," Taemin snarled. He moved aside to let Jonghyun in.

Minho grabbed Taemin's arm, but Taemin shoved him off.

"Go away, Minho," he said savagely. "Don't come back. We're over."

Minho growled and moved towards Taemin, but was blocked by Jonghyun.

"I believe you were told to leave," he said, shoving Minho into the hall. He slammed and locked the door. Turning to Taemin, he smiled. "So. Breakfast?"

  
  


Taemin started to laugh, but a sob forced its way out instead. He turned away from Jonghyun as he began to cry. He slowly sank to the floor as sobs wracked his body. Tears blinded him and he couldn't breathe. Arms wrapped around his waist and he was pulled into Jonghyun's lap. Jonghyun held Taemin tightly as he sobbed, pressing his lips to his temple and murmuring softly as Taemin cried.

  
  


Taemin didn't know how long Jonghyun held him. When his sobs finally died down, Jonghyun stood him up and led him over to the bed.

"Come on," he said, laying down and tugging Taemin with him. "You need to sleep. I know you didn't get very much of it last night."

Taemin rested his chin on Jonghyun's shoulder. He rolled his eyes and was about to say something but he drifted off.

 

 

 

 

When Taemin woke up, the afternoon sun was blazing through his windows. He was facing the wall and there was a weight around his waist, which turned out to be a tanned, toned arm. That's when he noticed a warmth at his back. He stretched and sat up, the arm falling away. Taemin turned to his bedmate, who was yawning.

  
  


And shirtless.

  
  


"Why are you shirtless?" he blurted out.

"It was wet."

Taemin blushed. Jonghyun tilted his head up. "It's okay."

"I'm sorry you got pulled into my mess."

Jonghyun shrugged. "You got pulled into my mess. What's a coupled of messes between neighbors?" He stretched and the sheet revealed a smooth, hairless stomach.

Without realizing what he was doing, Taemin reached out and traced Jonghyun's abs. His stomach quivered, and Taemin pulled his hand away as if he'd been burned. "I'm sorry!"

"It's okay," Jonghyun sat up and wrapped an arm around Taemin's shoulders.

"But Key-"

"We broke up."

Taemin fell silent.

"You were right. We were too toxic for each other. We always knew it. But we were so desperately attracted to each other that we wanted it to work. We each thought we could change the other, but we're too damn stubborn to change."

Taemin snorted softly.

Jonghyun ran his fingers through Taemin's hair. "He's met someone else, but he came over lsat night to see if we might be able to work it out." He chuckled. "You know how well that worked out."

"I'm sorry," Taemin said.

"Don't be. Onew's going to be really good for Key. Onew's pretty mellow, so he'll be able to calm the Diva Key."

"What about you?"

Jonghyun smiled. "I've got you now."

  
  


Taemin huffed, and leaned against the bedframe. "Minho's married. We were together for a year before his wife found out.  She was so sweet about it. She came to my work and asked to speak to me privately. She had seen us together and didn't think anything about it until Minho and I kissed. Sulli. That's her name. She said she hated having to tell me because I looked so happy."

Jonghyun leaned back next to Taemin.

"She's pregnant." Taemin began to cry. "Can you imagine being seven months pregnant and finding out your husband is having an affair?"

"Breathe," Jonghyun commanded, holding Taemin's hand.

"He was my first love. I was devestated. I'm still devestated."

"What does he do?"

"Neurosurgeon."

"He must have tons of money."

"Millions."

"And you walked away from the chance to be his mistress."

Taemin looked askance at Jonghyun. "He's married."

Jonghyun moved to sit in front of Taemin. He gently cupped his face and smiled brilliantly at him. "I know. That says so much about what kind of person you are. A lot of people would ignore the wife in the face of all that money. But not you."

  
  


Taemin bit his lip at the look in Jonghyun's eyes. He clutched Jonghyun's wrists and finally smiled back.

Jonghyun's thumb traced Taemin's bottom lip. "So, can I have Minho's number? I need a new car..."

"Oh, you ass!" Taemin pushed Jonghyun back but Jonghyun pulled Taemin with him and began to tickle him. Taemin shrieked and tried to tickle back but Jonghyun was stronger.

  
  


After a rather giggly tussle match, Jonghyun finally pinned Taemin. He brushed Taemin's bangs back and Taemin smiled shyly up at him.

"Damn," Jonghyun said softly.

"What?"

"I've fallen in love with you."

"Oh, for cry-" Taemin's reply was swallowed by Jonghyun's mouth. He surprised himself by kissing back. Jonghyun pulled them up into a sitting position. Taemin loosely wrapped his legs around Jonghyun's waist.

  
  


After several minutes, Jonghyun pulled back, causing Taemin to whimper.

Jonghyun smiled. "I really like you."

"You don't even know me."

"I know enough."

Taemin raised an eyebrow.

"I know you're tough. I know Key likes you. I told you not many people can talk to him like that, and he's a good judge of character. Eerily good. I know that you're willing to break your own heart to do what's right."

Taemin blushed and looked down.

Jonghyun tilted Taemin's head up. "I also know you're sexy as shit."

"You musn't leave that it out," Taemin snickered.

Jonghyun smiled. "Whatever this is, I want to go slow. I do like you, and I want to do this right. We're both starting over you know."

  
  


Taemin nodded. He was terrified to put himself out there again, but that was part of love. Putting yourself out there over and over again until you find that person who _won't_ stomp on your heart. Taemin smiled at Jonghyun. "Okay. But if we're starting over, I want that breakfast you mentioned this morning."

Jonghyun squinted out the window. "Don't you mean dinner?"

"I don't care what the hell you call it as long as I get fed."

 


End file.
